The Health Risks of PFAS (Forever Chemicals) Exposure
- Dean Weiss
- Dec 31, 2025
- 5 min read
Prepare to explore the realm of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These intriguing compounds, exceeding 10,000 in number, have been developed since the mid-20th century to achieve exceptional functions such as repelling heat, water, and oil. Their remarkable durability and resistance to degradation make them invaluable in industrial applications. However, this same resilience also renders them among the most persistent and hazardous substances introduced into the environment. As PFAS do not naturally decompose, they accumulate in ecosystems, water supplies, animal tissues, and even human bodies, prompting significant scientific, regulatory, and community concerns worldwide.
What Makes PFAS So Dangerous?
PFAS are often called “forever chemicals” because the carbon-fluorine bonds that define them are among the strongest in chemistry. This molecular stability means they can persist in nature for centuries or longer, resisting physical, chemical, and biological breakdown.
Worldwide, PFAS have infiltrated air, soil, sediment, groundwater, surface waters, and even rain.
After being released into the environment, they circulate through food webs and accumulate in living organisms, including humans. As a result, almost everyone now has detectable levels of PFAS in their bloodstream, even in areas distant from industrial activities.
The Health Risks Linked to PFAS
A growing body of peer-reviewed research has linked PFAS exposure to a wide range of serious health effects. Though specific risks vary by compound and exposure level, the evidence, across laboratory, animal, and human studies, is consistent in showing that PFAS can damage multiple organ systems.
1. Endocrine and Hormonal Disruption
PFAS can disrupt hormonal signaling, affecting thyroid function and endocrine regulation, which impacts metabolism, energy levels, growth, reproductive health, and fetal development.
2. Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity
Exposure is linked to reproductive challenges, including reduced fertility, pregnancy complications, and adverse developmental outcomes like low birth weight and potential neurodevelopmental effects in infants and children.
3. Immune System Suppression
PFAS weaken immune responses by reducing antibody production after vaccination and causing broader immunotoxin effects that compromise infection resistance.
4. Metabolic and Cardiovascular Effects
Multiple PFAS are associated with elevated cholesterol, disrupted lipid metabolism, insulin resistance, and other cardiometabolic disorders, potentially worsening outcomes for those with pre-existing conditions.
5. Carcinogenic Potential
Certain PFAS compounds, including historically widespread chemicals like PFOA and PFOS, have been classified as carcinogenic or possibly carcinogenic to humans. Epidemiological studies suggest associations with kidney, testicular, and other cancers.
6. Liver and Kidney Toxicity
PFAS bioaccumulate in the liver and kidneys, disrupting detoxification, lipid processing, and tissue function. Elevated liver enzymes and chronic hepatic strain have been documented. Long-term low-level exposure, common due to widespread contamination, poses a cumulative risk over years or decades.
How PFAS Enter Our Bodies
PFAS can enter humans and other life forms through multiple pathways:
Drinking water contaminated by industrial discharge or wastewater treatment failures.
Food ingestion, including fruits, cereals, vegetables, fish, dairy, meat, and eggs. Studies have detected elevated PFAS in a wide range of foods, with cereals often showing high concentrations.
Consumer products such as non-stick cookware, waterproof textiles, stain-resistant fabrics, grease-proof food packaging, cosmetics, and personal care items. PFAS chemicals are common in cosmetics like waterproof makeup, moisturisers, cleansers, shampoo, and sunscreen for water resistance, shine, and texture. They might be listed as "fluoro" ingredients or appear unintentionally. Looking for "PFAS-free" labels or "fluoro" terms in ingredient lists can asnon-stick cookwaresist in identifying them.
Household dust and indoor air via degraded PFAS-treated products.
No population is exempt: children are exposed in utero and through breast milk; adults accumulate PFAS in blood, liver, and kidneys over years of life; and entire ecosystems concentrate PFAS through trophic transfer.
PFAS and the Daikin Plant near Lyon
One of the most concerning episodes recently involved the Daikin Chemical France facility at Pierre-Bénite near Lyon, which became the subject of intensive reporting and public outcry after television investigations and environmental studies highlighted significant PFAS contamination in the surrounding area.
Residents in the region, known by some media as France's "chemical valley" due to its industrial density, reported unusually high levels of PFAS in soil, water, and blood. Community members associated the increased PFAS exposure with various health problems, ranging from cancer to hormonal disorders, leading to lawsuits and public protests. Independent testing revealed PFAS concentrations in blood samples far above typical background levels for non-industrial regions. The controversy reached national attention when France 2’s investigative reporting documented abnormally high chemical residues near schools, homes, and community water supplies.
In response to public and regulatory pressure, Daikin announced that it would phase out use of the compound PFHxA, a PFAS linked to reproductive toxicity, from its production processes and introduced enhanced filtration systems. However, the company continues to handle other PFAS variants, raising questions about the adequacy of voluntary measures in the absence of decisive legal action.
Contamination Beyond Daikin
Recent studies show widespread PFAS contamination in France. Nationwide testing revealed that over 90% of drinking water samples contained PFAS, including trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), often exceeding EU guidelines. Food testing across Europe also found persistent PFAS in staples like cereals, bread, pasta, and pastries, leading to chronic dietary intake beyond safe levels.
Should PFAS Be Banned?
Calls for a comprehensive PFAS ban are growing due to their widespread contamination, persistence, and health impacts. France has enacted legislation to restrict PFAS in consumer products like textiles, cosmetics, and ski waxes, with phased bans extending into the next decade. The European Union is considering class-based restrictions on PFAS instead of individual bans, supported for their similar persistence and toxicological profiles. Critics, including some industry groups, oppose this on economic and technical grounds, especially for specialised uses lacking alternatives.
Conclusion
PFAS are among the most insidious and poorly regulated chemical threats of the 21st century. They infiltrate water, air, soil, food, and bloodstreams; they resist cleanup; and they carry documented risks to human and ecological health. Incidents such as the Daikin plant controversy underscore the disproportionate burden borne by communities near industrial sites. Without decisive regulatory action and widespread phase-outs, PFAS will continue to pose escalating risks to public health, environmental integrity, and future generations.
Sources
1) https://europeannewsroom.com/eu-considers-pfas-ban-as-toxic-exposure-spreads/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
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